Is this PDF to Markdown converter really free?
Yes. The in-browser converter uses marklipi's free API tier: 10 conversions a minute, 100 a day, no signup and no watermark.
Are my PDF files stored anywhere?
No. Files are processed in memory and discarded as soon as the Markdown is returned. Nothing is uploaded to storage, logged, or retained.
Does it work on scanned PDFs or photos?
No — marklipi extracts the existing text layer and deliberately does not run OCR. Scanned or image-only PDFs return a clear error instead of hallucinated text. Rule of thumb: if you can select the text in a PDF viewer, it converts.
Why convert PDF to Markdown for LLMs and agents?
Markdown typically costs 60–90% fewer tokens than feeding the raw PDF to a model, and keeps structure like headings and tables intact. The same conversion is available as an HTTP API for agents.
Can I automate this with an API?
Yes — POST your PDF to https://api.marklipi.com/convert (multipart field `file`) and get JSON back. No API key needed for basic use. See the docs for limits and examples.